In honor of today’s release of Walt Disney/Pixar’s “WALL-E” (it seems we’re sticking with the hyphen), the gang at New York Magazine’s Vulture blog have offered up a countdown of the best films in Pixar’s consistently impressive portfolio.
I have to say, I share their opinion that “The Incredibles” simply…isn’t all that. I was on the bandwagon for “The Polar Express” back in 2004, but comparisons aside, the film never hooked me the way it did the rest of the film-going community. And that says a lot, given my comic geek roots. It’s a nice film, but a little flat.
Their pick for the studio’s greatest work is a slightly unconventional choice: “Monsters, Inc.” I confess I actually haven’t given it a second look since 2001 (what became the year of “Shrek”), but I’ve been meaning to pick up a copy for a number of years now.
My choice is far and away “Finding Nemo,” the only animated film ever to land in my top five for a given year (#3 in 2003). But I do love the “Toy Story” films.
Here’s their list:
1. “Monsters, Inc.”
2. “Finding Nemo”
3. “Toy Story 2”
4. “Ratatouille”
5. “Toy Story”
6. “A Bug’s Life”
7. “The Incredibles”
8. “Cars”
I obviously haven’t seen it yet, but it’s looking more and more like “WALL-E” will top everyone’s list in due time.
Speaking of “WALL-E,” Sasha Stone at Awards Daily has put up her first State of the Race column this week, focusing on the film, its awards potential and the political message supposedly within. Take a look:
Wall-E begins its run at midnight. Some peripheral chatter is focused on it being not kiddie fare or it being a target for conservatives for having a “message.” If the message ends up being that we as a culture have a disease of consumerism and that it will end us in pathetic ruin, that is not a great leap in logic. Look around.
But if the conservatives do start whining about it that only means its Oscar chances shoot through the roof, as if they haven’t already. We have here a “too big to ignore” film, a Schindler’s List of the animated feature category and if anything is to take it down it’s only going to be a shocker at the box office, an extremely unlikely scenario.
Read the rest here.
Comments
16 responses to “Counting down the best of Pixar”
From that list, for me, Ratatouille wins hands down – as a character piece, it’s just so intricately thought through. I share your reservations about The Incredibles.
On a side note, am I the only person on the planet who deeply disliked Shrek, right from the get-go?
No, you’re not.
I think “Shrek” was pretty boring and not very funny. Its sequels were of course even worse.
I’d say that “Toy Story” is my favourite from that list, although I really like “Nemo” and “Ratatouille” as well.
1. “Ratatouilleâ€
2. “Finding Nemoâ€
3. “Toy Story 2″
4. “Toy Storyâ€
5. “Monsters, Inc.â€
6. “A Bug’s Lifeâ€
7. “Carsâ€
8. “The Incrediblesâ€
1. Toy Story
2. Ratatouille
3. The Incredibles
4. Finding Nemo
5. Monster’s Inc.
6. Toy Story 2
7. Cars
8. A Bug’s Life
OK, if that’s the game we’re playing, I’ll join in. To be honest, I only feel real affection for the first two. So shoot me.
1. Ratatouille
2. Finding Nemo
3. Toy Story
4. The Incredibles
5. Monsters, Inc.
6. Toy Story 2
7. A Bug’s Life
8. Cars
Shrek is oh so clever. It’s better than any animated feature Pixar has made (haven’t seen Wall-E). The constant adult humor and fantastic supporting characters make Shrek a true gem. Lord Farquaad, Pinocchio, and the blind mice are hilarious; even the little dough boy with his gum drop buttons steals the show. The problem that I have with recent Pixar flicks is that they don’t contain the adult humor Toy Story has. Monsters Inc., Nemo, and the very overrated The Incredibles are too “kid-y” for me.
Ratatouille didn’t have anything for adults? Are you kidding me? I don’t think kids understood anything about the movie except for the pretty colors and funny looking animals.
My list:
1. Finding Nemo
2. Toy Story 2
3. Ratatouille
4. The Incredibles
5. Toy Story
6. A Bug’s Life
7. Monster’s Inc.
8. Cars
1. Wall-E (now that I’ve seen it and loved every single second of it)
2. Toy Story
3. Finding Nemo
4. The Incredibles
5. Toy Story 2
6. Ratatouille (the best of the imperfect ones)
7. Cars
8. Monsters, Inc.
9. A Bug’s Life
I actually liked them all, but “Bug’s Life” was the weakest link.
Ratatouille made my top 5 last year.
Millenium Actress and Spirited Away easily made my top 5 in 2002.
My list:
1. “Finding Nemo”
2. “Toy Story 2”
3. “Toy Story”
4. “Ratatouille”
5. “Monsters, Inc.”
6. “A Bug’s Life”
7. “The Incredibles”
8. “Cars”
“WALL-E” thoughts to come in a few weeks.
Word, Proman. For me, while Pixar have made some nice films, nothing they’ve done matches the vision and storytelling scope of a Spirited Away – which is easily one of my ten best films of the decade so far.
(new No.!?) Wall*E!
1. The Incredibles!
2. Finding Nemo
3. Ratatouille
4. Cars
5. A Bug’s Life (if only for the cute fat effete caterpillar!)
P.S. I don’t like Toy Story and Toy Story 2 for the sole reason that the actor I love to hate – T.H. is annoyingly voice-acting in it! Yup, T.H. who should have never won a second Oscar for that so patronizing and calculating schmaltz of a movie – F.G. (I really don’t wanna mention the unmentionables… T.H., F.G., T*t*n*c, and Sasha’s favorite… C.W.W.(!) with that over-rated actor again, T.H., with the over-rated actress acting along side, J.R. – who stole the second Best Actress Oscar from Queen Burstyn!
P.S.: Mr Gittes i presume is in the payroll of Dreamworks animation.
Can’t say that agree with your rankings. A Bugs Life over Incredibles?
1. Incredibles
2. Finding Nemo
3. Toy Story 2
[…] I still haven’t made it out to see “WALL-E” since returning to the States, but today I thought I’d pop “Finding Nemo” into the player and soak up some of that old Andrew Stanton goodness in the meantime. And it really does stand-up as the most sensational entry in Pixar’s steadily increasing portfolio. […]